Fewer bugs this summer because their larvae died in last year's drought, experts say

Drought conditions last year have reduced the number of insects in recent months because of the impact on their larvae, conservationists say.

The number of flying insects are lower than usual at this time of the year, according to anecdotal evidence from experts and citizen scientists.

“The drought last year in particular, is a concern,” said Matt Shardlow, the CEO of Buglife, which conducts an annual survey on bug numbers.

“In the southeast, where it was driest for longest, very low numbers are being reported by people,” he said.

Dry weather can leave larvae struggling to survive in baked soils, meaning there are fewer insects around in subsequent months.

Most of the country was declared in official drought last year after an extended period without rain, including the driest July since 1935.

Splatometer

“The moment we had that drought for an extended period of time, my hopes of getting good results in this year’s survey were somewhat pessimistic,” Mr Shardlow said.

“We were staying in the countryside in Lancashire the other day for two days, we had the doors opened. And there was one fly that came and visited us. That just doesn’t seem right.”

The charity’s annual “splatometer” survey, which it runs alongside the Kent Wildlife Trust, allows citizen scientists to submit the numbers of insects they find on their car’s licence plate, to get a picture of their overall health.

Last year’s survey found a decrease of 64 per cent in the number of insects splatted on vehicle number plates between 2004 and 2022.

Mr Shardlow said insects were facing a number of pressures from dwindling habitats, to changeable weather, including extreme rainfall.

“What we’re seeing over time is an increasing of these various things so that it’s sort of getting harder and harder for the invertebrates to just bounce back.”

The Bugs Matter survey is running from June 1 to August 31 2023, when insects are at their peak activity.

“By joining the Bugs Matter survey, every participant becomes a vital contributor to our understanding of insect population numbers across the country,” Dr Lawrence Ball at Kent Wildlife Trust said. “Together, we can make a difference in preserving populations of our valuable insects.”